My goal is to help you manage the balance between work and your family and personal lives. I'll focus on creative solutions to conflicting demands, new strategies for helping people juggle responsibilities, and new trends and developments.

Monday, November 19, 2007

What do you do for fun?

When you're not at work, what do you do for fun? Big changes in the answer to this question from just three years ago. Topping the list of favorite activities are reading, TV watching and spending time with friends and family. Even as more of us tune in to Grey's Anatomy, Harris Interactive reports while we're still watching lots of TV, we're not doing it as much as we did a few years ago. Instead, we're on our computers more. And, while we feel like we're a nation of overworked robots, Harris found the number of hours people spent working (including housekeeping and studying) dropped from a median of 50 hours in 2004 to a median of 45 hours this year. This is the first time it has been this low since 1975 when it was at 43 hours. Harris polled about 1,000 people. Can its findings be accurate? My editor insists they are not. "I don't know anyone that says they're working less," he said. I feel the same way. It's not like people have tons more time for leisure. But maybe, we're wrong. Are you working less and having more fun? Do you agree with the findings of the Harris Poll?

1 Comments:

I am working less than I once did, but that isn't too hard too do since I worked 80 - 100 hours weeks in my past life. I truly believe that I'm better able to set priorities and work smarter than at any other time in my life.

I am having more fun. I describe fun as spending time with family and friends, reading, reading on the Web (as opposed to pure surfing), and doing new and different things.

About this blog

Cindy Krischer Goodman writes The Balancing Act column for The Miami Herald. She has been a reporter and business columnist since 1994. The mother of three children, she brings her personal experiences to her beat. Cindy grew up in Miami and has a degree in journalism from University of Florida. Off the job, she exercises, reads, volunteers in schools, and cares for her children. Email her at cgoodman@miamiherald.com